Last month, we missed a big piece of news: Southside Johnny has announced his retirement from touring. This includes the cancellation of all scheduled performances, even his annual New Year's Eve show at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey.
During a performance at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, on December 14, 2024, Southside Johnny left the stage midway through the show due to exhaustion, and the band finished the concert without him. This incident, along with a previous health scare in February 2024 when he was treated for dehydration after leaving the stage at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, contributed to his decision to retire from touring.
Does this mean he might still perform locally or occasionally? That remains to be seen, but with all dates canceled, it doesn’t seem likely. Will he continue recording albums? That’s also unclear, especially with album sales no longer what they once were.
Citing health issues as the reason for his retirement, we hope it’s a manageable situation and that he can enjoy his well-deserved retirement in good health after decades of entertaining fans around the world.
You can read his full announcement in the Facebook post embedded below:
